Ch. 1 Introductions
Laughter rang and bounced off the high arched ceiling. And the music twisted and glided around the banisters and railing of the second floor balcony, while richly dressed dancers twirled and swayed in time with its melody. The celebrated people were all there including the 5 pilots and the leaders of the Preventers who had also helped in some way to achieve peace.
"Hey Quatre!"
"Miss. Noin! Hey, how are you?
"Wonderful, oh and it's Mrs. Marquise now." Noin smiled and squeezed Zechs hand.
"Congratulations." Quatre hugged Noin and shook Zech hand.
"So, how are the rest of the guys?" Zechs spoke up.
"Good I guess I haven't had time to talk to them yet. But I think that even they are enjoying the peace." Quatre looked hopefully around. "Well I guess we could ask them. Because here they come."
"How much longer? It's sooooo hot! I'm about to die in this damn suit. " Duo whined while tugging at his tie.
Quatre laughed. "Sorry Duo but it's quite awhile till it ends. But I'm sure you will cool off once everyone settles for the speeches."
"Speeches! There's gonna be speeches?" Duo's voice squeaked.
"Yeah Relena's going to make an address as well." Quatre added almost feeling guilty that he was enjoying Duo's torture at all.
Duo's eyes got wider."Man she takes for ever! She just keeps going on and o-." Wufie jabbed an elbow into his ribs. "Shut-up Maxwell! Here she comes."
"Good evening Miss. Relena." Noin nodded and smiled at her.
"Good evening Mrs. Noin, guys. I want to introduce you to someone." She took the arm of a woman behind her. The woman was fairly tall with light blue eyes and brown hair that was swirled into a mass of complicated curls. She seemed displaced and absent until Relena said her name.
"Guys this is Mrs. Caelan (Kee-lin) Ivy. Her husband, Wayne Ivy, is a very important man in the Peace Committee. And her daughter is one of your biggest fans."
"Nice to meet you Mrs. Ivy." Quatre greeted extending his hand.
Caelan snapped out of her trance and her face suddenly lit up happily. "Oh please call me Kate. It makes me feel old when people call me that."
"Well you certainly don't look old." Quatre grinned.
"Why thank you! Now please excuse my ignorance I don't know all your names."
"Oh! My fault. This is Duo, Wufie, Heero, Trowa and I'm Quatre."
"Nice to meet you all." She smiled gracefully.
"Well I have to go mingle. Excuse me." Relena disappeared into the crowd.
Duo cheered up immediately."So your daughters a fan? Who does she like best?"
Kate stared at him a moment." Well I really doubt that matters considering you all worked in a unit to achieve peace. And your individual skills are different but pretty much equal."
"Oh." His face dropped.
Quatre stepped in." You looked upset. Mind if I ask why?"
"Oh not at all. I'm just a little tired." She smiled brightly. "And my husband has disappeared, oh well he's probably off discussing...well, whatever they discuss!"
"I see."
The music stopped and everyone started to seat themselves at a table.
"Well we better grab a seat." Kate started toward the tables.
"Allow me." Quatre stopped while Kate hooked her arm in his. "Why thank you."
A graying man stepped up too the platform and started to speak, "Good evening ladies and gentlemen I'd like to welcome, and thank you for coming. As you all know this is a celebration for those who help achieve peace..."
He continued for quite a while and was only half way through his speech when a series of loud rumbles where heard and the ground trembled slightly. The room was suddenly brightly lit. The man stood dumbly on the platform light reflecting off his glasses staring at his feet until the shaking subsided. He opened his mouth to continue when suddenly a dark gray mobile suit slammed through the brick wall on the other end of the ball room, scattering bricks as far as the tables causing people to jump up and move. A black figure was flung in front of the suit, it landed in a pile of rubble with a few sickening cracks.
The mobile suit pilot laughed."Tell me again what you were planning to do to me. Something about destroying me wasn't it? Well just in case you didn't know. YOU FAILED!" The suit took a step toward the still person on the floor. "Come on boy! I thought you would be a little more of a challenge!" It raised its jumbo gun with obvious intentions of crushing the boy on the floor, when all of the sudden a young black headed girl came streaking out of the shadows and landed on top of the boy. She grabbed the front of his jacket and heaved, rolling over as she did causing enough momentum for them to roll out of the way, barely avoiding the gun. The raven haired girl started to slap the boy viciously causing the already loose cap on the boy to fall off releasing jet black locks like the girl on top of him.
"A GIRL? HA! And to think all this time they've been scared of a girl. laugh."
The dark skinned girl on top glared up at the MS then turned her glinting glare back to the girl on the floor. "Get up! We haven't got time for this!" Finally her efforts paid off the girl's hands shot up and blocked her tormenters last slap then shoved her off and rolled over.
"Well! Looks like there's still a little fight left after all." The man laughed again.
The girl raised herself onto both elbows, her face was in her arms,she was obviously in pain. She shook her head several times as if trying to
clear it.
The MS pilot whistled, "It a shame that I have to kill someone as pretty as yourself."
The girl seemed unfazed by the man's comment as she worked her way to her feet running a hand through her hair to push it away from her face. Light glanced off her sunglasses as she turned her face upward. She then reached into her coat and pulled out what seemed to be a simple handgun.
The MS pilot laughed and mocked her. "Careful with that toy there honey! haha Come on, take your best shot."
A small smirk appeared at the edges of her mouth as if she were holding a dirty secret. She held the gun up and took only a second to aim, the sound of the shot echoed in the large room and everyone's eyes where riveted on the ball on the end of a cord soaring through the air when suddenly it popped open into a three prong grappling hook, in the middle of the prongs a blinding flare sprayed out causing momentary blindness of the MS pilot, but that was all she needed. She broke into a sideways run as the grappling hook caught hold to the MS's head and started to reel itself in pulling the girl up in an arc around the large gun. The girl kicked her feet out to gain more momentum when she saw the gun move, it slammed into the cord snapping it in two while flinging the girl into the air.
She fell onto the MS's chest and started to slide downward, the crowd caught their breath and held it, listening to the sound of her nails screeching along the metal trying to find a hold. Suddenly she stopped, she had got a hold above the cockpit door and wasting no time she kicked it open and dropped onto the platform where she was immediately met by the enraged pilot. She ducked his fist and slammed her own upward hitting him square on the nose, then struck again catching him full in the stomach, he doubled over in pain, she lifted her arm and slammed an elbow into the back of the neck successfully and mercifully knocking him out. She reached up and grabbed the front of her scalp and pulled, the black wig came of easily releasing a cascade of dark blonde-red hair with bleached streaks running through it like lightning. She threw the wig into the cockpit then quickly disappeared after it
A brunette came running in through the hole her cream brown streaked, dark chocolate hair flew behind her until she slowed to pick her way around the rubble calling," OK, that's finished what's next?", she stopped short and stared up at the mobile suit backing up slightly. "Whoa, OK maybe not..." Then her silver-green eyes lit up as if she just remembered something. she ran towards the black haired girl, who was standing off to the side brushing off her clothing and staring at the brunette rushing at her. "Where is she? What happened? What went wrong?" The brunette gestured wildly at the massive piles of what was left of the ballroom wall.
"Hey, chill I'm right here. Hang on a sec." The blonde interrupted her and stepped out on the platform. "Here catch." She instructed.
The brunette looked up. "Catch wha- umph!" She was cut short by the when the body of the pilot landed on top of her."Man...gross!" She shoved the body off quickly and dusted herself off. "It's called a WARNING!" Her eyes blazed up at the cockpit door.
Self Destruct Activated
The brunette's eyes widened, "What was activated! I don't know what your doin' in there but you better get your ass back out here!"
"Hang on, Ray, I've almost got it!" She answered back. Then the MS started to fly upwards. Ray jumped toward the cord that was still dangling from the head but let go quickly when the hook popped lose and came sailing to the ground. So instead she took up staring at the cockpit door. Ray's face was suddenly wreathed in smiles when her friend appeared on the platform, she watched as
she slid down on the dismounting rope and dropped the rest of the way to the floor as the suit rose rapidly into the air.
"What the hell was that!" Ray attacked.
"That was getting things done." The black haired girl appeared behind her. She was staring up at the doomed mobile suit and with the rest watched as it exploded destroying all evidence of what might have happened, along with the wig.
Ash and pieces of still hot chunks of metal came streaking down to earth but Ray ignored them and helped the blonde up, "What next?"
"We disappear. That's what." The raven haired girl answered while checking the pilot for a pulse, she jerked up and turned to the blonde. "He isn't dead? You didn't kill him?"
The blonde shook her head wearily, "He's just a rookie there's no need."
"Oh yes there is, you know what happens to rookies who fail! You'd be doing him a favor by killing him now."
Ray glanced back and forth between them. "What? Will somebody tell me what's going on?"
The blonde rubbed her forehead and sighed, "When a rookie fails his first mission they view him as a weak link, so they torment him to see if his giving away secrets as to where their base is and how they work then if he hasn't died yet from the treatment they kill him so he can't tell anyone after he gets out. End of story." Then she glanced up at Ray as if waiting for a reaction.
"Well... That's interesting..." She looked blankly at them. "Your not gonna let that happen are you? Come on guys! That's not fair!"
Raven looked around," Course it's fair. Like I said we're doing him a favor," she pulled out a small silver gun and cocked it.
Ray turned on the blonde standing slightly away from them. "What, so your just gonna let this happen? Can't we like...like...get him away from here...somehow...maybe?" She waved her hands in front of her face and gestured desperately. "Hello!"
Raven leveled the gun at the man's heart and started to pull the trigger, "Don't waste your pity he joined with them in the first place, and look at all this trouble he cau- What are you doing?"
The blonde grabbed the gun and pulled it from her hand. "We'll get him somewhere safe." She growled.
"Fine." She stood took the gun back and shoved it bad temperedly into the back of her jeans, turned swiftly and started to walk away when all of the sudden the blonde dropped behind her, she whirled back around. "What the hell?"
Ray rushed to her friends side, "What do ya mean 'What the hell?' it's obvious! She only just crashed through a brick wall...USING HER BODY!"
Raven turned to look at the party crowd. "We gotta go, and now! You grab her and I'll get the pilot." She looked over at him in disgust.
Ray lifted her friend up gently and turned to the crowd. "Ladies and Gentlemen you are a great audience!" She grinned and bowed." Now if you will excuse us we must take our leave! Thank you and good-night!" She hauled out the hole in the wall and ran to the silver Montero sport and buckled the senseless girl into the front seat.
"Nice save." Raven announced as she walked up.
"You think anyone bought it?" Ray threw her a glance.
"Not likely, so we better jet. Give me a call when she wakes up." She glided off towards a black convertible and was quickly on her way, sending dust off in her trail.
"K." Ray whispered uselessly into the night air.
"Hell if that wasn't suspicious!" Duo glared at the whole in the wall as if he expected it to start a fight.
Kate came and stood beside the boys." Suspicious or not we have nothing to do with it." Her voice was tight with the worry that showed clearly on her face.
Heero turned his piercing eyes on her," What do you know about it?"
She started as if she had just stepped back into reality then quickly regained her composer," No more than you do I assure you." she answered coolly while meeting his eyes defiantly.
He grunted slightly, but continued his scrutiny. Quatre quickly stepped in, "Here, we'll walk with you to your car."
She allowed a smile to grace her lips and turned her gaze from Heero's." No you won't. You'll walk me to the side walk, my husband went to get the car."
"Sure." Quatre smiled warmly back and allowing her to slip her arm in his they walked towards the doors. Wufie and Duo followed.
Trowa strode silently up behind Heero, his eyes never left the retreating figures, "You think she's lying." he stated in a monotonous undertone.
"No," Heero answered in the same tone," she's just not telling all she knows."
"Hm," Trowa slipped past him and headed for the door," all I want is to sleep, you can stay here if you want."
Heero allowed himself a small smile and walked after him.
After stepping outside they stopped and waited with Kate for her ride. She stood still and was staring, preoccupied into the black night sky. Quatre first did his best to bring her out of her state but eventually gave up and seemed content to just breathe in the fresh breeze. To their left and in front of them, across the parking lot, was evidence of a small battle. Kate's eyes moved and riveted themselves on the head of some decapitated mobile suit, her face was as still as a granite rock but her eyes were a whirl pool of emotions.
"You really should stop thinking about tonight and just have fun. It's your vacation after all, right?" she smiled. "Believe me we have enough
people to look into this problem. Get some rest."
"Ok, sure." Quatre was convinced.
Reassured she got into the car and was driven away. Duo turned towards them, "Tomorrow morning...WATER SKIING! WHOOHOO!" He grinned hugely and ran to the rental car.
Duo had gotten his wish. Early the next morning they found themselves on the lake by "The Blazing Dragon". The hotel was set in the mountains so that every window you looked out of had a breathtaking view. The hotel itself was a beauty, like a ruby inside an emerald it stood with red sand stone walls blazing in the morning sun.
They had stopped momentarily to switch skiers and as they pulled Duo into the boat and waited for Quatre to put on his skis, Duo chattered endlessly and was so pumped everyone knew he had nothing really to say until one statement caught their attention.
"Have you seen those girls on the beach? Man they are hott! They obviously know I'm hott too or else they wouldn't have been sitting there all morning." He laughed and shut up long enough to reflect on how hott he was then," It would have to be me because I mean compared to me, you guys ain't got shit on me!"
Heero was suddenly alert."You said they were there all morning.?"
Duo scratched his head and stared out at the two dots on the small "beach". "Yeah, and I think I saw a glimpse of them last night when we came in. If I remember right..."
Quatre maneuvered himself to sit on the edge of the boat and looked in the direction of the girls."Then they're probably guests here too. What's the harm in that?"
Quatre is right, Heero told himself, this isn't the war anymore and no one is out to get us. Chill Heero. Enjoy the vacation."Your right. Ready?" He threw the question over his shoulder already knowing the answer.
"Yeah." Quatre dropped into the water slid on the slippery skies then prepared to take off.
On the beach Ray sat next the the blonde from the night before. Ray wiped tears from her eyes and tried to stop laughing. "Whew! Hahaa...that was a close one...hahaha...he's so full of himself..hahaha!" She coughed a little after choking on her spit.
The blonde smiled and stood up. "We don't need another one so let's get out of here."
"K. Hey! Ajeya! Can we go to a movie? I've really wanted to see that new one, what's it called again?..." Ray rambled on and skipped ahead.
Then she raced off the rest of the way leaving Ajeya to deal with her thoughts.
'Only two more days until the final banquet. I don't think they'll try anything before that, but they'll try something afterwards. Then I'll be prepared.' Firm in her decision she walked towards a silver mustang and drove off, determined to find Kate.
Kate whirled around as the bell on the department story door clanged wildly. Ajeya stormed up to her.
"Fine." She growled, "But don't you ever ask me to do this again."
Kate smile sweetly, so sweetly it made Ajeya sick." I really don't think your doing this just to get me off your back. But I'll just pretend that you love me enough to do it for me."
Ajeya nodded. "Whatever. Let's just get it over with."
Kate nodded." Alright then! Come over here I found the prettiest dress!" Ajeya rolled her eyes, but followed.
Ray, on the other hand, was enjoying herself immensely. Deciding that Ajeya had gone on some secret errand, in which she would learn of later, she indulged herself in watching the gundam boys. She wanted so bad to talk to them, and hang out with them but disciplined practice kept her away. She stood in the second story window of her room and watched them play basketball. All with their shirts off!
"Enjoying yourself?" Ray jumped and swung around to find Ajeya standing in the doorway. She hadn't seen her all day but she new something had happened that Ajeya wasn't happy about.
She grinned." They play basket ball well..."
Ajeya burst out laughing and joined her at the window." I agreed to play dress up with Kate..."
Ray studied her face." Why?"
Ajeya shrugged." I have a plan. I figured that I could go to the banquet all dressed up and playing the giggling little sister for Kate and snatch a dance with one of them," She nodded out the window at the five boys." then give them the instructions."
"Uh-huh. And they're going to believe you why?"
"Because they'll be curious to know why I want them to go with me."
"I see. Alright we'll see how well it works."
"Even if it doesn't," Ajeya moved towards the door. "I'll still have my sister off my back for a while."
"True."
